Letters to the Editor

Great beginning

The Trinity-by-the-Sea Day School program that Nana Ward has fostered and grown in this community is wonderful. She has worked tirelessly to maintain a program that not only provides a safe, caring, positive childcare option for parents of toddlers and preschoolers, but also instills an invaluable educational foundation in these fortunate children.

Mrs. Ward and her incredible staff also work very hard to keep a scholarship program funded so that more Port Aransas children have the opportunity to benefit from this awesome non-profit school. After having children attend Trinity-by-the Sea Day School for five years, it is a bittersweet goodbye as my youngest graduates to kindergarten. I will always treasure the time we spent with the Trinity family and know that this early childhood experience has been an important stepping stone for my kids' development. Thank you, Trinity By The Sea!

Jana Snow

Port Aransas

Ah, the ambiance

With acres of concrete parking lots, the oversized tourist stores selling their trinkets made in China, and the Hardiplank® subdivisions that now cast a cold shadow over our once small quiet neighborhoods, the addition of the new highway overpass on the Island Road is truly beautiful.

It gives us that ambiance that the city manager, council and engineer have been struggling for for so long.

What is it? Island charm? No, let's see, is it - wait, I've got it! It's that "urban" feeling.

Kyle Krauskopf

Port Aransas

Housing needed!

I think Ashley (Stockton) hit it in her letter to the editor May 29 about the article on the new businesses coming to the island.

I think it's great our island has new retail shops and restaurants opening soon. There is even a new convenience store with a new fast food chain inside. That is all great, but have any of these owners thought about how and who will be working at their businesses for them?

I have lived on the island for over 21 years. I remember if you did not have a job by March, you could not find one for the whole summer. We purchased our first business here 12 years ago. At that time 90 percent of our employees lived in Port Aransas. Now less than 10 percent live on the island. We opened a second business three years ago. I have had ads running for the last two months trying to get a full summer crew. My crew now is mostly on double shifts and may get only one day off a week because I do not have enough employees. I am facing burn-out and it's just barely June.

With the cost of living too high for my employees and gas prices so outrageous, who would come to Port Aransas to work? Just drive around town -- everyone has written on their blackboards, "NOW Hiring".

We need to find solutions to our severe employee housing problems we have on this island. A tax break for developers willing to put in affordable living complexes ($600 -$950 a month rent)? I am not sure what the solution is.

Now with these new businesses coming, we will even have less of chance to be able to fully staff our businesses. We need to all come together to find solutions.

Beth Owens Port Aransas